PREDATION EFFICIENCY AND LIFE CYCLE OF PENTATOMID BUG,EOCANTHECONA FURCELLATA (WOLFF.) ON THE BRINJAL PEST, HENOSEPILACHNA VIGINTIOCTOPUNCTATA.

ABSTRACT Henosepilachna vigintioctopunctata is one of the most serious pests of brinjal crop. A predatory stink bug, Eocanthecona furcellata were identified in the field and evaluated against different immature stages of the pest population under laboratory condition. The predatory potential of thenymphs was tested which revealed that among all the life stages, the E. furcellatanymphs prefer the larval stage followed by pupal and egg stages. In addition, the life cycle duration of the nymphs reared on four different larval stages ofH.vigintioctopunctata showed that, predation rate occurs based on the prey size. The nymphs that were fed with third and fourth instars had lowest predation rate but showed similar developmental duration as in control than first and second instars. A significant difference has also been observed between all the treatments (p≤0.05). Moreover, a nymph can feed on an average of 127.33 first instars during its nymphal period. From this study, we conclude that E. furcellata had high predatory potential against the pest, H. vigintioctopunctata to be mass reared and utilized as a bio control agent.